"NeoMalthusians" and "cornucopians" are the labels given to different schools of thought about the impact of population growth on economic development and environmental quality. Write an essay in which you contrast the positions taken by these two schools on the demographic future of the human species. Based on the available evidence on current population and resource trends, which school of
thought do you find more convincing? Why?
What will be an ideal response?
Global environmental issues engage the competing perspectives of optimistic
cornucopians and pessimistic neo-Malthusians. Cornucopians adhere to the belief
that if free markets and free trade prevail, ecological imbalances that threaten
humanity will eventually be corrected. For them, prices are the key adjustment
mechanism that ultimately produces the greatest good for the greatest number of
people. Neo-Malthusians, on the other hand, have a lot in common with economic
mercantilism, which argues that free markets fail to prevent excessive resource
exploitation and that, accordingly, intervention by governing institutions is necessary.
This latter perspective rejects the belief that the free market will always maximize
social welfare.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel?
a. Oil b. Coal c. Natural gas d. Sodium dioxide e. All of the above are fossil fuels.
Which of the following statements about political parties is FALSE?
A) Political parties try to synthesize the interests of the public. B) Political parties may make a special effort to recruit candidates who will improve the party's image. C) Democracies without political parties work as efficiently as those with parties. D) Party labels help voters to anticipate a candidate's beliefs. E) Competition between political parties can be beneficial.
Which was a significant result of yellow journalism?
a. the development of a professional code of ethics b. mainstream popularization of sensational stories c. simplification of newspaper language d. investigative journalism
Which of the three views presented in the final chapter of the book portend a particularly painful and gloomy vision of the future?
a. Coming culture clash and clash of civilizations b. End of history and coming culture clash c. End of history and globalization and fragmentation d. Globalization and fragmentation and coming culture clash